Talk:Steeplechase (athletics)

Bias
I don't understand the importance of European records... Superbowlbound (talk) 07:19, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

They predominate in the sport, numerically. As it becomes more popular worldwide, other continental records may be significant to keep. It is already very popular in Kenya. 2601:647:667F:8610:3945:F1A3:DE4F:EAB8 (talk) 02:55, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

QUESTION: (I'll ask this here, since this is the first section I can edit.)  Are there "official" steeplechase track regulations? Does it have to be X number of meters, and have X number of hurdles (or jumps, whatever they're properly called), and X number of water jumps, with the water "trough" being X deep and X long? Seems like there must surely be some specifications a steeplechase track must meet in order to be official. I would think something like that should be included in the article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.83.35.185 (talk) 02:14, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

Create a new page?
Maybe it's better to create a new page for word records progression, like in 100m and 100m word record progressions —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.57.179.130 (talk) 13:29, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

it is authro — Preceding unsigned comment added by 169.149.128.40 (talk) 04:29, 10 June 2017 (UTC)

Urban Legend of the Event's History
Moved from the article, I don't think it belongs here.

Though debunked as urban legend, the "Mark Steeple" origin is a more colorful story of how the steeplechase race came about. Mark Steeple, son of aristocrat gin distiller Offa Steeple, lived in mid 19th-century Guildford, England. Always the local joker, Mark Steeple was well known for his outlandish antics. Each year, his family was host to the Surrey summer foot races. Put in charge of ensuring the track was maintained for the 1851 event, an opportunistic Mark Steeple saw this as a chance to manifest his ultimate prank.

Once the hurdles for the hurdle event were in place, he personally walked and "examined" the track the night prior. Out of everyone's sight, Mark Steeple changed the heights of various hurdles and even dug a one meter ditch across the last set of hurdles and filled it with water, complete with trout from the local lake. This final hurdle is the root of what is known today as the "water jump."

The hurdle event was the first race held the next morning. The spectators were as confused as the runners when some participants were having a difficult time jumping over the higher hurdles and were enjoying ease with the lower hurdles. The crowd and runners were even more shocked as the runners cleared the final hurdle only to land waist high in water! Unable to restrain himself any longer, Mark Steeple burst into uncontrollable laughter at the muddy runners.

Realizing that it was the town joker behind all this, the entire field failed to complete the race and, instead, began chasing Mark Steeple! However, the event officials (Mark's father and uncle) and even the other participants, welcomed the idea of an obstacled race and kept it for next year's event. Hence, the humorous, albeit likely fantastic, origin of the (Mark) steeplechase.

ƕ (talk) 19:25, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Splitting
I think the season's bests and records are getting quite long now. I'd recommend that we split perhaps the European and world record progressions into their own separate articles to reduce article length and focus the topic. Sillyfolkboy (talk) (edits) WIKIPROJECT ATHLETICS NEEDS YOU!  12:35, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Requested Move (2018)

 * The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

See Talk:Steeplechase (talk page of horse racing steeplechase) for a related move request -- 05:14, 27 April 2018 (UTC)
 * For the archived discussion, see Talk:Steeplechase (horse racing) -- 12:20, 2 May 2018 (UTC)


 * The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Course details
How high are the barriers? How wide is the water jump? RJFJR (talk) 20:50, 10 June 2021 (UTC)